Another Tax: No I Mean Yes

I am no longer amazed when I hear people and especially politicians make statements that do not make sense to me.

Take the newest one, as being reported by MLive.com the Kalamazoo City Commission yesterday passed a resolution supporting a new tax on the citizens of Kalamazoo County. That new tax they estimate will raise $800,000 a year for 6 years to help support 100 homeless families a year for a total of 600 families.

For those of you have are attempting to use Common Core math to figure that out, it will take too long so I will give you the answer, it is $8000 a year per family.

The tax proposal will appear on Kalamazoo County voters' ballots Nov. 3.

The say the 0.1-mill tax will provide temporary financial housing assistance and other support services that would assist homeless (if you are in foster care or shelters you are still considered homeless in these numbers) families with school-age children in hopes to establish permanent housing.

First do you really think that they will allow the tax to expire in 6 years? I do not.

Let me remind you of a 3% federal excise tax on long-distance calls that was imposed in 1898 to help pay for the Spanish-American War. It was designed as a tax on wealthy Americans, back when phone service was considered a luxury. That tax lasted 108 years, case closed.

Also do you really believe they will keep it at 0.1 mills: maybe, maybe not.

What made me say a big WHAT and shake my head was a comment from Commissioner Barb Miller, who voted for the resolution essentially wanting the tax, when she was quoted in the article saying:

"My biggest worry is it is another tax for the city of Kalamazoo, and we are really overburdened and overpaying as it is,"

Did she just say what I think she said? She is worried that this is another tax to put on the citizens of the city of Kalamazoo, who she believes are already “overburdened” and “overpaying” taxes, but she voted yes (essentially) for “another tax” which will add to her constituents being even more “overburdened” and “overpaying” more taxes.

How do these people get away with making statements like that? Did any news reporter ask her about conflict?

There is about $139 million dollars in the combined budgets of the City and County of Kalamazoo. Apparently they could not find $800,000 of waste and fraud to reallocate to these 100 quasi homeless families.